Live: Orpheum Theatre, Boston @ October 23, 2006

The first time I was supposed to see Scissor Sisters was at TT’s The Bear, a Cambridge, Massachusetts club that has a capacity of like twenty or thirty people. Seriously, that small. Unfortunately, due to travel problems, the show was cancelled, and my schedule conflicted with the rescheduled date. I don’t need to tell you that wish I could have seen this band in such an intimate setting. Well how much can change in only a few years: The Scissor Sisters played the Orpheum Theatre in Boston last night. It is an understatement to say that the Orpheum has a capacity much, much larger than TT’s.
 
The Orpheum must have been a beautiful theater in its day. Its architecture could rival some of the larger Broadway theaters in New York City, but years of concerts and events have left it looking and feeling worn. That said, I could not imagine a better setting to see the Sisters. The juxtaposition of majestic with decay seemed almost scripted for this band…. like vaudeville’s revenge or something.
 
Whatever stage presence is, or whatever makes stage presence happen, lead singer Jake Shears has it. I know this is so wrong to type, but my first thought when he walked on stage was, “I wonder if he’ll die after the third or fourth album.” He just burns way too bright. I hate to say it, but Shears’ destiny seems so unavoidable. I hope I’m wrong because whatever the man lacks in vocal ability, he makes up in energy, in pure stage presence, actually in essence… even if he looks like a total junky throwing himself around half the time.
 
There is a paradox with live shows. The band feeds off the audience. The audience feeds off the band. Even the worst band can have the most mind blowing, amazing shows if the audience is keyed up. Unfortunately, last night there was no momentum between the band and the audience. Scissor Sisters seemed bored… like they had played their set list one too many times. The banter between Jakes Shears and Ana Matronic seemed stiff, like they had the conversation a million times and were repeating it out of habit and not out of necessity. I couldn’t help but think, “shut up and sing” more than a few times. Banter is only good when it is original. The lack of eneregy was not entirely the Sisters’ fault. The audience seemed tired, like they would rather have their feet up at home watching Desperate Housewives. Except for a few enthusastic dancers who looked as though they waited their life to see this show, the audience was stale.
 
It wasn’t until towards the end of the show when the Sisters broke into “Comfortably Numb” that things started to heat up. “Comfortable Numb” was followed by “Music Is The Victim.” The energy was starting to go through the roof. I think there were people hanging off the balconies. Then, instead of harnessing this energy and using it for good, Scissor Sisters put on the brakes with “Land Of A Thousand Words.” They stopped the show. They killed it, and the rest of the night dragged on and on and on.

My only complaint ever about the Scissor Sisters’ albums is the fact that they are totally overproduced. I mean, maybe that is the point — like part of the joke — but no matter what too much polish is too polish and that is usually a bad thing. Way bad. Live though… live they sold me. The band, itself, was incredible. If they could capture that sound on disc they would sell a billion records in America. People blame the band’s lack of success in the States on homophobia. Homophobia is a cop out. I mean sure it is probably a piece, but I think the larger piece is Americans don’t want their rock music sounding like a cross between disco and bubble gum pop. BUT the band can rock. Rock in the strict definition. They prove it live. If they could bottle that live sound America wouldn’t care who or what Jake Shears sleeps with…

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